Work in Russia: Labour Minister Announces Employment Slots for Ghanaians

• Labour Minister Emmanuel Agyekum signed a new agreement with Russia's Alabuga Special Economic Zone on Thursday, October 29, 2026
• The Alabuga zone hosts 48 companies and requires more than 75,000 workers to fill industrial and manufacturing roles
• Ghana's Labour Ministry will coordinate recruitment and orient workers before departure to safeguard their interests

Ghana has taken a significant step toward expanding employment opportunities for its citizens abroad, signing a labour agreement with Russia that could open doors to thousands of industrial jobs.

Labour Minister Emmanuel Agyekum formalised the deal with the director of Russia's Alabuga Special Economic Zone on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

The Alabuga zone is a major industrial hub hosting 48 companies and currently seeking to fill more than 75,000 positions in manufacturing and related sectors.

Ghana's Labour Ministry to oversee recruitment

The Labour Ministry will lead the process on Ghana's end, taking responsibility for coordinating recruitment, verifying job offers, and preparing workers through orientation programmes before they depart.

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The government has framed these steps as a protective measure to ensure Ghanaians working abroad are not left vulnerable.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Agyekum made clear that the agreement extends well beyond worker placements.

"We signed a fantastic agreement, not only on labour exchange," he said. "We are also looking at business-to-business cooperation. We're looking at religion and culture as well, where we want to work further to make sure our cooperation goes beyond just labour migration."

Broader ties between Ghana and Russia

On the commercial side, Ghanaian businesses are expected to participate in forums in Tatarstan, where they will explore potential partnerships with Russian firms.

The minister also pointed to plans for academic exchanges that would allow Ghanaian professors and lecturers to conduct research alongside Russian universities.

Agyekum used the occasion to appeal directly to young Ghanaians, urging them to position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities the arrangement is expected to generate once the recruitment process gets underway.

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Russia backs Ghana’s bid to join BRICS

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Russia threw its weight behind Ghana's bid to become a partner country of BRICS, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledging to mobilise the bloc's founding members in support of Accra's application.

Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, shared the development in a Facebook post on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, following a breakfast meeting with Lavrov and other African foreign ministers on the sidelines of the ongoing Russia-Africa Summit.

According to Ablakwa, Lavrov not only gave Moscow's personal assurance of support but also committed to working with BRICS founding members to build a consensus around Ghana's application.

Source: YEN.com.gh